In the case, a trial court employee was diagnosed with a serious illness. She requested a meeting with her employer to discuss reasonable accommodations. She wanted a union representative during the meetings. The employer said no. The union filed an unfair practice charge.
PERB held an employee has a right to representation during an interactive process meeting. An employee may have a representative present in two contexts. First, an employee has a right to a representative during a discipline proceeding. Second, the employee has a right to a representative when engaging in labor activities. This includes activities like filing a grievance or bargaining.
PERB decided an ADA meeting is like a grievance. The meeting is a negotiation on the appropriate accommodation. This directly concerns working conditions. This is the perfect scenario for a labor representative. The representative has unique knowledge of the labor relationship. The representative can use this knowledge to negotiate with the employer. Thus, the employee must be allowed a representative during an interactive meeting.
Employees are often stressed and concerned when engaging in the interactive process. Employers can take advantage of this stress and exploit the employee. A representative can protect the employee and level the playing field during these negotiations.
